Prologue
Sometimes we all push people away for whatever reason and that’s okay. We may do it because we don’t want to hurt them or to get hurt or just because we need to be alone. But the rare few people that come back to you every time you should always hold onto because there will probably come a time when you need them by your side.
~.~
Darkness. Metal rattling. Passing lights humming. A splitting dizzy head. The box lift I was in rising rapidly. In my mind, the faces of several strangers appeared. A blonde-haired slim boy, a serious-faced boy with a strong brow, a slightly older black boy, a blue-eyed fair-skinned brunette girl, and lastly a tall muscular Asian boy with tanned skin. In my head, there was a burning, and it was spreading through my mind but instead of it destroying my brain it felt like it was branding the images of the strangers into my memory. That mixed with the speed of which the thing I was in made everything rapidly spin out of control and all I could do was begin to heavily pant and sob horrifically gripping hold of my ebony black hair, feeling a single long thin braid to the left of the nape of my neck that I had for some reason. It then suddenly all came to a stop and around me was the red light signalling I was at the end of something or some kind of door was closed. I released my hair and looked around ready to see what would happen next, which was the lights turning green for a second or two before everything went black. My breathing was heavy and I slowly curled up into a ball. There was a light that came from two-panel doors sliding open to reveal the top of the wire-caged box I was in with a whole lot of other stuff. I looked up holding my hand in front of my brown eyes to shield them from the sun seeing I was a few feet underground and surrounded by a range of boys my age.
“Oh...shit...” I muttered backing into a corner as the doors were opened up, the boys all murmured and whispered whilst looking at me like I was a freak. One of the boys opened the cage door back then jumped down to the level I was on. He was a short-haired boy with a strong build and brow that was frowning at me.
“Well well, looks like we got us a Greenette.” He mocked and I glared at him. No idea what a Greenette is but if he called it me again I’d punch him. I didn’t say a thing, I just kept glaring at him. “What are you glaring at? Cat got your tongue?” He mocked making his goon friends laugh again. I was about to come back with something, but then instead my eyes went wide when I realised, this guy was one of the people I saw a flash in my mind!
“Oh back off Gally she’s bloody scared and you’re not helpin’,” A thinner boy with longer sandy blonde hair with a cream shirt, light skin and a friendly face scolded climbing down into the cage then moved the guy Gally away. He was another one of the boys I saw in my mind, was I suppose to see them because I was about to meet them, but why? “Hiya, don’t be scared, c’mon let’s get you up.” He spoke with a kinder tone and smiled offering a hand. I got up myself not needing him or anyone else to help me but I did give him a pursed-lip smile showing him I was grateful. “C’mon, you don’t need to be frightened,” He encouraged as the other guy Gally climbed out of the box. “Everybody move back!” He ordered getting the boys around us to do just that. He must be in charge or have some kind of power here. He helped me up out of the cage in the ground then I looked around again at the guys around me, studying all their faces looking back at me. “Well, this is something we aren’t that used to. You are the first girl here.” My stomach flipped. That news was...oh shit. I’m the first girl to come here?! They look like they had been here for a few years since they had houses in the distance, a garden and even weapons. This blonde haired boy seemed polite with his British accent and power, but he and the rest of them were still teenage boys and teenage boys have needs just like girls do...and if they have been able to satisfy those needs in a while, they will be frustrated. I was in even more shit now. “I’m Newt, that guy you met before is Gally.” He introduced and I looked from him to Gally seeing him cross his arms judging me. I know I was new here but I was already getting sick of being looked at like I was weird.
“What?” I deadpanned at him. He smirked.
“She does have a tongue!” He chuckled looking around smugly looking around getting laughter from the others. “Don’t worry, you’ll be okay Greenette,” Gally smirked giving me a hard pat on the shoulder that made me jump and elbow him in the face so hard it made him fall. Everyone else gasped or hollered but I just saw this as my opportunity to run. I shoved a few others out my way and set off sprinting for my life away.
“STOP! HANG ON!” Newt shouted and I could hear a few were running after me panting or shouting for me to stop. I looked around running still then saw the whole green field place was surrounded by high stone walls, except for one gap that was a way out.
“Shuck, SHE’S RUNNIN’ TO DAMN THE MAZE!”
“WHERE THE HELL IS MINHO?!” I heard Newt and Gally shout as well as the sound of running getting quieter meaning I was getting away from them and they were giving up. I was smiling on the inside confidently at the fact I was running so fast away from them and that they were giving up so easily. Whoever this Minho guy was would have fun trying to catch up to me wherever he was because I was nearly at the entrance to this maze. I personally thought my odds were better in that maze then with a load barbarian looking teenage boys.
“WHOA SHUCK!” I jumped to the side to avoid a tall tanned black haired guy running out the entrance to the maze with another guy on the other side of him. He also jumped back before stopping abruptly surprised to see me as much as I was surprised to see him. He was the last of the boys I saw flash in my mind, but that could be a bad coincidence and not a good one so I just kept running despite the other guy telling me to stop.
“MINHO! GET AFTER THAT GIRL!” Newt I heard shout louder than before. I looked over my shoulder seeing him and the others gather around the entrance of the maze but they seemed to be reluctant to even put a foot into this maze. I frowned again at that turning around to face them but kept jogging backwards slowly.
“GIRL?!” The guy called Minho repeated then he set off sprinting at his full speed after me making my eyes go wide and do the same thing. I took a left sharply nearly falling over sideways but was able to keep going and checked over my shoulder seeing that guy flawlessly turn the corner. This guy had to have a lot of practice at running, he might even be professional which was bad news for me but it pushed me to run faster. “WAIT! HOLD ON!” He called, his voice and frantic footsteps getting closer. I didn’t speak, I just kept panting and running. I took a left then a right trying to get this guy to trip while not tripping myself. “STOP!” He suddenly shouted and grabbed my ankles making me drop to the floor harshly.
“OWW!” I cried out pushing myself up with my hands then looked behind me to see him gripping onto my feet and smile broadly showing a bright smile. “GET OFF ME YOU CREEP!” I screamed then began thrashing my legs around trying to get free and did eventually, booting him in the face a few times.
“OUCH! Not the face!” He cried rubbing his nose with both hands leaving me to scramble to my feet and keep running through the Maze. He wasn’t giving up though damn it and soon was running after me again. I kept running over the uneasy ground jumping over a bit of plant life that was growing, him doing the same. “STOP!” He shouted and I felt him grab my arm running right next to me but I yanked away harshly but also lost my footing and tumbled to the ground in front of him. I tried getting back up again turning over on to my back resting on my elbows but looked up to see the guy Minho stood above me. I began frantically scooting back but he grabbed one of my feet then swiftly pulled me forward then grabbed both my wrists before I could punch him in the jaw and pinned me down to the stone floor of the Maze. I tried thrashing my legs about but he rested his on legs on mine stopping me.
“GET OFF ME!” I screamed.
“No! You need to stop! You don’t know where you are!” He stressed shaking his head.
“I know I’m in a maze idiot! And I know I woke up in a box surrounded by hormonal teenage boys!” I seethed sarcastically back.
“We all woke up like that. And being a girl doesn’t change that. We all woke up with no memory, terrified and no name.” He backed up a bit from me resting on his knees. I rested on my elbows as he went on. “I can take you to our leader Alby. He’ll explain everything.” He promised but I wasn’t completely convinced, and that was because I remembered my name and what I saw in my head before.
“I remember my name,” I told him. “You’re lying to me,” I told him but he scoffed.
“Well I didn’t remember my name when I got here and neither did anyone else until after some time passed. But I guess you’re just lucky.” He told me with a shoulder shrug and rested his hands on his hips. I looked him up and down carefully as I tried to decide if he was lying or not. He seemed genuine, blunt and like he dealt with shit head-on.
“Talia,” I said making him frown. “My name is Talia,” I told him and he nodded.
“Well Talia,” he stood up resting his hands on his hips again. “My name’s Minho lets get you back to the Glade,” Minho introduced holding out his hand. “You can trust me.” He smiled beckoning me to take his hand which I did then he helped me stand up. I gave him a small smile that he returned, while still holding his hand for a few more seconds before gasping at how awkward it was then we both cleared our throats.
“Err, don’t tell anyone about what happened here okay?” I warned him pointing a finger at him and he nodded chuckling.
“Okay relax babe, now come on we’d better get back.” He chuckled making me glare at him before we started to jog back through the Maze back to the Glade.
